Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-04
AT ST. LOUIS.
The Arrival of the Veter-
ans Described.
THE DRIZZLING WEATHER
Prevents Much of the Enjoyment
That Was Expected by All
-AmusamentS.
ST. LOUIS, September u, 1887.

ing tramped, tramped, tramped nearl.
all the day long to hear what he coult
hear and see what he could see. A
more sorry, disappointed, bedragglet
set of men never appeared on tho
streets of any city. And such crowd
A crowd, not only Of disappointed
but dilapidated men. Our three
sections, which we supposed in oul
"greenness" would be together, a
least within a hundred miles or SO
were not all together once on the
journey, so far as we could learn
Even at Topeka, where, as we stated
in our last letter, the most ample and
fattering arrangements had beer
made for our reception, one section
was too late, enjoying it only in an
ticipation.
This was quite unsatisfactory, as
many who had expected and desired
to see one another for various reasons
lost the chance. 1t was doubtless un
avoidable, as the officials OF the Sants
Fe road were, to a man, courteous
and obliging. We have just one fault
to find, which we think, from a Ions
experience in travelling, might be
avoided. We know it is on some
Eastern roads. After getting, by
"hook or crook" "nature's sweet re-
storer," often in homeopathic doses
once nicely embraced in the arms O.
Morpheus, after hard struggle ir
wooing the soothing goddess, in comes
the knight of the punch crying in a
stenterian voice, tickets! Ones ''phe'
links" can be better imagined thar
told, after two hours siege upon a
pair of cooling lovers who had just
raised the siege and "given US rest
When we disembarked at the
depot at IL o'clock Sunday morning,
such was. the hurly burly in the alb
sence of any programme on our part
we scarcely knew what to do. Com
mittees of reception were doing their
"level BEST" but many of us not recog-
nizing them, started out on our own
hook. We finally brought up in good
order at our headquarters" at Armory
Hall, Seventeenth and Pine.
Monday morning dawned, not as
we had hoped, with cloudless sky, but
in a drizzling rain. Everybody,
strangers and citizens as well, were
out, for it was next to impossible to
elbow ones way through the jam on
the principal streets, every man,
woman and child, nearly, with un-
furled umbrella. At the Union depot
we were told, it was worse, for trains
loaded with veterans from every part
of the country were constantly arriv-
ing. When night came stroll through
the small city parks where thou.
sands OF tents had been pitched fol
the "boys," to any one but sol.
dier would have presented sorry
sight. But they made the best of it
The thousands of "vets" reading this
whose circumstances would not allow
them to be here, will not be surprised
when told that the night, the drizzle
not holding up minute, was spent in
singing "Our Jimmie has gone to live
in a tent" and other war songs. and
in Jokes, repartees and fun generally
This was hard on those who needed
sleep more than fun, but it couldn't
be helped.
Tuesday morning came like its
predecessor, only little more so. II
drizzled and drizzled, and drizzled
but at intervals it could almost be dig
nified into rain.
Your correspondent made his way
through the crowds, furling his bor-
rowed umbrella, for some hapless
wight had appropriated his, to the
Laclede, Luidell and the various
"headquarters," to find out what
everybody tried to find out
without success. Time is the
only Interpretation of coming events
The air at 10 O'Clock, the procession
being booked to start at IL, was full
of rumors, some saying the order
from General Grier was to march,
rain or no rain, and some, that it was
countermanded. But a Council oi
War; finally decided "retreat" for
twenty-four hours.
The soldiers and strangers that had
availed themselves of the low rates Of
fair, filling the city to the brim and
running over, amused themselves as
best they could, some being disguised
saving they will take the first train
for home. But generally, they took it
philosophically. =,
The exposition, which is in full
blast. with Gilmore's unrivalled band
every night, does more than anything
else to while away the tedious hours
This exposition is unrivalled in extent
and exhibition of machinery and every
kind of merchandise, of every State
in the Union.
The preparations by the citizens oi
St. Louis for the entertainment OF this
encampment are on gigantic scale
The bunting already used upon both
public and private buildings would en-
compass the enire city, and yet thous
ands upon thousands of yards are kept
till the rain is over. Arches grand
beautiful and artistically arranged
have been erected in. many parts o.
the city. The most noted is the
"Triumphal Arch" Twelfth and Olive
streets, where the stand, beautifully
decorated, for the grand review Ii
located. Our next will contain a de-
scription of this fine work of art.
The number of lamps for the grano
illumination studdingt the arches across
the principal streets, as we'll as small
ones spanning the doors OF many, O.
the business houses, outside the aide
walk, would, if told, tax the credulity
of our readers.
Many incidents Of great interest
could be told in connection with this
meeting, but for the rain, the grand
est yet held, a mention Of which would
swell our letter to an unreadable
length. One or two will suffice. The
great sensation of the day, however
occurred about noon. There was 9
lull in the arrivals, and the comrades
had settled down to friendly converse
ton, when suddenly tall, bronzed
veteran, waving a Wisconsin ribbon
and the forty-round badge of the
famous fifteenth corps, rose to hi
feet. raised bugle to his lips an(